This handsome bobcat (Lynx rufus) was photographed with game camera in one of our meadows on January 2, 2016. Friend and Essex neighbor John Davis mounted the camera about a month ago. In addition to photographs of deer, turkeys, and rabbits he discovered four images (from two separate occasions) of this healthy bobcat. In fact, he thinks it might possibly have been two separate bobcats.
“What joy to have such lovely creatures on our lands!” ~ John Davis
It truly is absolutely wonderful. I can’t believe that this sly feline has been slinking around in our back woods/meadows, and yet I’ve never one spied him/her. Not even a footprint. Here’s the sequence of three consecutive photographs as the bobcat walked past the trail camera.
I look forward to other surprises over the course of the winter. Thanks, John, for another Rosslyn safari installment!
Bobcat Behavior
Wondering about the elusive, rarely witnessed but apparently [increasingly] common bobcat? I did. I do. How does Lynx rufus traverse our wild (and not-so-wild) places without being more frequently documented?
The bobcat is crepuscular. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night it will move from 2 to 7 mi (3.2 to 11.3 km) along its habitual route. This behavior may vary seasonally, as bobcats become more diurnal during fall and winter in response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder months. (Source: Wikipedia)
[Update: I revisited this post on the Essex on Lake Champlain community blog with a few ruminations and evolutions.]
Crepuscular is a cool (but decidedly un-onomatopoetic) word for the gloaming. Twilight. Cocktail hour… And this, neighbors, might have something to do with the bobcat’s invisibility. Although cocktail hour also seems to be the most oft reported Champy sightings, so maybe my logic is off! Maybe the peripatetic… behavior of Lynx rufus is a more likely explanation for infrequent sightings. Always on the move. Sly. Stealthy. (Source: Lynx rufus (Bobcat) Sighting in Essex)
Hoping to learn more about the habits of our local bobcats, and possibly (fingers, arms, and eyes crossed) we’ll even get lucky and report another bobcat sighting…
Great photo! Wondering what model of moultrie trail camera are you using? Am planning to purchase one and looking especially for one that will do well with night vision.
Great question. Sorry I don’t know the answer, but I’ll ask John Davis to weigh in. He set up the camera and monitors it. I’m hoping to add an additional camera in late winter / early spring in another location, and I’d be happy to notify you of the model when the time comes. For now I’ll see what John can offer… Thanks for connecting!
Good news, Sue Doin. I’ve received a response from John Davis about the camera:
“We are using Moultrie M-990i (Gen 2) Digital Game Cameras. They are available from moultriefeeder.com. They seem to be good cameras, though they’re not always quick enough to catch fleeting animals. They are much cheaper than top models (maybe $200 or so rather than thrice that). Not sure what Bushnell models ANC uses, apparently successfully.”
I hope this proves helpful!
Thanks so very much George! Just ordered a Bushnell 14 MP trophy HD Aggression No Glow Trail camera: with such a long name, it must be good! Actually spent time on line reading and trying to figure out what best meets our needs as well as reviewed many brands including Moultrie. Looking forward to having fun with it and if I get any great results will send your way. We are not in Essex, actually next door neighbors of your friends Amy Guglielmo & Brian Giebel.
Good luck! I’d love to see what/who you document with your field camera. Perhaps Amy and Brian?!?!
Hi! I have a video with bad resolution. We get all kinds of animals and am looking for opinions about whether the video shows a domestic cat, small dog, or small bobcat. We know we have bobcats in the vineyard but I’ve never seen one or captured it on camera.
Neat! Happy to take a look.